10/22: Heroes On Holiday?
OH NOES! Heroes the online comic might be threatened by an imminent Screenwriters' Guild strike. But wouldn't that require actual writers to be involved in the comics to begin with? BA-DOOMP KSHHHH!
Others have said this better than me, but the second season of the TV series kind of feels like it's not being written either. Last month, I said that the comics would only become essential reading if the show itself became disjointed and confusing.
The show has not done that. Instead, it's made them even less essential by becoming an exercise in mindless repetition, and weighing down even its best characters with cliched and unbelievable plots. Claire's boyfriend West is like nails on chalkboard, and even Hiro can't entertain us that much if he has absolutely nothing to do. The lean economy of the previous season is a distant memory. And I don't even want to TALK about the decline of the dialogue. I'm trying to remember the last time I've seen a great series get so bad so fast. Star Trek: Voyager, maybe?
Under the circumstances, a strike may be a huge blessing in disguise... if resolved quickly, it could lead a wave of refreshed and re-energized writers back to the staff, and they could move the TV series back on track. It's not too late: there are still great characters lying around from Season 1, and most of the new ones, though a bit stereotypical now, could still become rounded. For instance, the Life and Death twins' desperation and love for each other are easy to identify with. If they actually showed third, fourth and fifth emotions, we'd be getting somewhere. "West" is a problem, but he can always turn out to be evil, so at least it'll feel like I'm supposed to hate him.
("West." Was someone actually trying to evoke memories of Wesley Crusher with that name and dialogue? If so, it worked.)
As for the webcomic, since it comes out weekly, there's a chance the producers might hire some scabs to do it. (Comics writers who don't write for the screen, for instance, and therefore don't qualify for Guild membership.) Scabs'd be more inclined to take crazy chances, especially if they come from well outside the operation. And that webcomic needs some crazy chances taken if it's gonna be even readable.
Of course, I'm an optimist. What's more likely is that the producers will note the ratings have been more than satisfactory and assume this means the show and comic are fine as they are, and encourage less risk-taking, not more. Audiences do punish bad writing on TV, but they generally do so slowly, changing their habits reluctantly. As Surash suspects, the Heroes are indeed dying of a disease that they may not diagnose until it's too late.
I'm quoted in this Boston Globe piece about nigh-unstoppable sensation Randall Munroe.
Tomorrow, the University of Virginia features a speech by Hugh MacLeod, cartoonist and marketing guru. From there, he'll proceed to San Francisco. MacLeod's name doesn't get mentioned in the usual sources but he seems to have done pretty well for himself: he's a member of Federated Media, which claims many compulsively readable websites, most notably Digg.
Interviews with Kristofer Straub and Bill Barnes.
Chugworth Academy has returned.
Favorite of the day: "Who does this Rowling woman think she is?"
Close runner-up: "Hastings Kilgore is aroused."
Oh hell, Monday's always an embarrassment of riches: I also smiled at this and this and this. I haven't been that entertained by Megatokyo in about two years, actually.
Others have said this better than me, but the second season of the TV series kind of feels like it's not being written either. Last month, I said that the comics would only become essential reading if the show itself became disjointed and confusing.
The show has not done that. Instead, it's made them even less essential by becoming an exercise in mindless repetition, and weighing down even its best characters with cliched and unbelievable plots. Claire's boyfriend West is like nails on chalkboard, and even Hiro can't entertain us that much if he has absolutely nothing to do. The lean economy of the previous season is a distant memory. And I don't even want to TALK about the decline of the dialogue. I'm trying to remember the last time I've seen a great series get so bad so fast. Star Trek: Voyager, maybe?
Under the circumstances, a strike may be a huge blessing in disguise... if resolved quickly, it could lead a wave of refreshed and re-energized writers back to the staff, and they could move the TV series back on track. It's not too late: there are still great characters lying around from Season 1, and most of the new ones, though a bit stereotypical now, could still become rounded. For instance, the Life and Death twins' desperation and love for each other are easy to identify with. If they actually showed third, fourth and fifth emotions, we'd be getting somewhere. "West" is a problem, but he can always turn out to be evil, so at least it'll feel like I'm supposed to hate him.
("West." Was someone actually trying to evoke memories of Wesley Crusher with that name and dialogue? If so, it worked.)
As for the webcomic, since it comes out weekly, there's a chance the producers might hire some scabs to do it. (Comics writers who don't write for the screen, for instance, and therefore don't qualify for Guild membership.) Scabs'd be more inclined to take crazy chances, especially if they come from well outside the operation. And that webcomic needs some crazy chances taken if it's gonna be even readable.
Of course, I'm an optimist. What's more likely is that the producers will note the ratings have been more than satisfactory and assume this means the show and comic are fine as they are, and encourage less risk-taking, not more. Audiences do punish bad writing on TV, but they generally do so slowly, changing their habits reluctantly. As Surash suspects, the Heroes are indeed dying of a disease that they may not diagnose until it's too late.
I'm quoted in this Boston Globe piece about nigh-unstoppable sensation Randall Munroe.
Tomorrow, the University of Virginia features a speech by Hugh MacLeod, cartoonist and marketing guru. From there, he'll proceed to San Francisco. MacLeod's name doesn't get mentioned in the usual sources but he seems to have done pretty well for himself: he's a member of Federated Media, which claims many compulsively readable websites, most notably Digg.
Interviews with Kristofer Straub and Bill Barnes.
Chugworth Academy has returned.
Favorite of the day: "Who does this Rowling woman think she is?"
Close runner-up: "Hastings Kilgore is aroused."
Oh hell, Monday's always an embarrassment of riches: I also smiled at this and this and this. I haven't been that entertained by Megatokyo in about two years, actually.
Posted at
2:43 PM
2 Comments:
Man, I was JUST having this same conversation with my friend. Yes, Veronica Mars is a welcome aesthetic addition, but c'mon, where's the story at? (Also she's SO Bob's daughter. Callin' it.)
It's bad news when the show is called Heroes and the only interesting character right now is the villain. (Of course it's hard to let Sylar carry the show when HE'S NOT IN IT.)
Yeah - I think one of the big problems thus far this season is an overdose of characters. I mean, I'm actually liking most of the storylines - but when you can barely fit half the characters into each episode, it shouldn't be a surprise when things move slowly.
I suspect that this problem will fade as the season continues and storylines become consolidated (and/or characters get killed off), but we'll see. The potential is still clearly there, it just needs a bit of focus.
Post a Comment
<< Home